Multicylinder opposed-piston internal-combustion engine



March 4,1947. |EBE'RHERR 2,416,762 MULTI-CYLINDER OPPOSED PISTON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Sept. 20, 1944 2 sheets sheet 1 INVENTOR HANS L/EBE/PHE/PR BY r-- L.

ATTORNEYS H. LIEBERHERR March 4, 1947.

MULTI-CYLINDER'OPPOSED PISTON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Sept. 20, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l/AIVl l/ INVENTOR M's #k ATTORNEYS HANS L/fBERHE/FR BY Q QQ mi.\

m a Q m EUQQ Patented Mar. 4, 1947 nUL'rrcYLmnan orro'san-rls'ron man- I HAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Hans new-hm, wmmuiur, Switzerland, as-

signor to Snlzer Frerea, Socit Anonyme,

Winterthnr, Switzerland Application September 20, 1944, Serial No. 554,94

' In Switzerland November 20, 1943 '4 Claims. (01. 123-51) The'invention relates .to a multi-cylinder opposed-piston internal combustion engine in which in particular the pistons of each working cylinder act through two crankshafts upon a main shaft. It consists in that the middle part of the cylinder on both sides of the engine axis is formed by a continuous supporting wall. The necessary members (fuel valve, starting-air valves, safety valve, ignition tubes) can then be fitted parallel to each other and at right angles to the direction of the engine axis.

In known opposed-piston engines the valves (fuel valve, starting valve, safety valve) are built in radially. This not only caused diillculty in the machining of the cylinder block, but led above all to an unfavourable flux of force in the part occupied by the.valves and in the transition to the adjoining parts, and further to an wall, into which it is preferable to build the necessary members parallel to each other and at right angles to the engine axis. In this -way higher moments of resistance and inertia are obtained over the whole depth of the block. Further, machining is rendered much simpler and the pipes can be more easily conducted to the respective members. Finally, the parallel arrangement of the valves permits the distance between two adjoining cylinders to be decreased, as when a valve is removed there is no need for attention to be paid to the adjoining valve also obliquely arranged.

One embodiment of the invention is diagrammatically shown in the drawing.

Fig. 1' shows the design hitherto customary for the middle part of the cylinder of opposed-piston internal combustion engines.

Fig. 2 shows the design as proposed in the invention.

.Fig. 3 is a section through an engine constructed according to the invention on a plane which includes the axis of a cylinder and is perpendicular to the common middle plane which v includes the axes of all cylinders.

In known opposed-piston engines (Fig. 1) the 3 and any ignition tubes which may be required,

are fitted radially into the cylinder 5. This not' only renders the machining of the cylinder block diflicult, but also reduces the moments of inertia and resistance in the middle part of the block.

In the execution shown in Fig. 2, in contrast to this, the cylinders a are built into the cylinder block 8, which has on both sides a continuous supporting wall It. The fuel valve H is arranged perpendicular to the axis of theengine. The starting valve IQ of the internal combustion engine also runs perpendicular to the direction of the main axis of the engine.

The fuel valve II is inserted in a casing ll. 0n the starting valve I8 is provided a valve plate which is influenced by some control system.

It will be understood that more than one fuel- .valve may be used in each cylinder and that other necessary members may be arranged in the described .manner in the continuous supporting walls III, for example, ignition tubes or indicator cocks.

As shown in Fig. 3, the cylinder liner 8 is provided with inlet ports l1 and 18 for the scavenging and charging air and with outlet ports ll for the exhaust gases. This cylinder liner may be fastened to the block 8 by any securing means such as the fixing screws It of Fig. 2 orthe pins 28 and 29 of Fig. 3 which cooperate with groove 21 and contact surface 30 respectively. The opposed pistons 20 and 2| are shown at outer dead center; their position at inner dead center, Ill, 2|, is indicated by broken lines. The middle part of thecylinder block is bound by two continuous parallel supporting walls III, which are parallel to the common middle plane ofthe engine. Cooling of the engine is provided by circulation of coolant through cooling spaces 22, 21 which are inter-connected with cooling space 28 by passages 24. Lubrication of pistons and rings is provided through oil pipes 26.

The positions of fuel valve I4 and starting valve ii are, as shown in Fig. 2, in planes parallel to and displaced laterally from a plane that includes the axis of the cylinder and is perpendicular to the common middle plane that includes the axes of all cylinders. In the engine illustrated in Fig; 3 these necessary members are also perpendicular to the common middle plane of the engine.

.I claim:

1. 'Multi-cylinder internal combustion engine with two pistons running in each cylinder, charl. I k j 3 deter-idea in that the middle part of the cylinder not swept by the pistons on both sides of the engine axis is formed by a continuous supp rting wall and a plurality of injection or starting memin the middle part of the cylinder with their axes iz each, t i Q 2. Mill -cy der iiliternal combustin engine .as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the fuel valve and starting-air valve are arranged:

parallel to each other at right angles to the axis or the engine and in a plane parallel 'to the I cylinder axis and spaced to the side thereof; 3. A. multicylinder internal combustion engine I with two pistons running inmeach cylinderiand a plurality of injection or starting members in the middle part or said cylinders not swept by said pistons, said middle part being bounded p cone tlnuous supporting walls which riinip'a'ra el 'to" the'colnmon middle plane that includes the axes ot'all cylinders and in flliich said injection and members 7 are arranged parallel to eachother and perpendicular toisaid common middle 4 plane.-.- s

a'aithtwo pls'tqnsrunning in. eachoylinder and 3.114; amult-lylindee-interndl combustion engin e e azzplurality oi lnjectionor starting-members in the: middle. part of said cylinders not swept by the planes" that include die axis teach-cylinder and are perpendicular to said common middle plane.

HANS LIEBERHERB.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle or this patent;

UNITED-STATES PATENTS I g Date 

